North Puget Sound


Fishing: Fishing for chum salmon at many of the region’s rivers and streams has been slow, but some steelhead are starting to show up in the catch. On Puget Sound, crabbing is still an option and blackmouth fishing has been good in some areas.
“The blackmouth fishery slowed a bit in early November, but anglers have done pretty well recently,” said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. “That could be a good sign as we move into December.” Creel checks in the region show decent fishing for blackmouth – resident chinook – in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton). At Shilshole Ramp, 30 anglers were checked with seven chinook Nov. 24, while 37 anglers brought home 12 chinook the following day.

Those fishing Marine Area 10 are currently allowed to keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. Daily bag limits for that area change beginning Dec. 1, when anglers will be allowed to keep two hatchery chinook as part of their two-salmon daily limit. They must, however, release wild chinook, which have an intact adipose fin, and are required to use single-point barbless hooks beginning Dec. 1.

Thiesfeld said anglers have been averaging about one blackmouth for every five rods in marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), where selective fisheries for hatchery chinook run through April. Anglers in those two marine areas have a two-salmon daily limit, and can keep up to two hatchery chinook per day.

Time is running out for anglers to hook blackmouth in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet), said Thiesfeld. The salmon fishery in that area closes Dec. 1. Until then, anglers can keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit.

While out on the Sound, why not drop a pot? Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9, 10, 11 (Tacoma/Vashon), 12 (Hood Canal) and 13 (south Puget Sound) are open to sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2. However, crabbing is closed in marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 and 8-2.

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelf...index.htm.

In the rivers, chum fishing has been slow throughout the region, but anglers are beginning to reel in some hatchery steelhead. “They’ve caught a few on the Cascade River and a few on the Skagit River,” said Brett Barkdull, another WDFW biologist. “I expect fishing will pick up once we get some more rain.” Anglers on the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers have also hooked some nice steelhead, according to recent reports.

Rainbow trout are also an option for anglers. About 3,000 hatchery rainbow trout – averaging approximately 3 to 5 pounds each – were released into Beaver Lake near Issaquah in mid-November. Beaver Lake, one of several westside lowland lakes open to fishing year-round, is best fished by small boat, although anglers can also be successful fishing from shore. The daily bag limit is five fish, and bait anglers must keep the first five trout they catch.

Before heading out, anglers should check the rules and regulations for all freshwater and saltwater fisheries in WDFW's Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).


South Sound/Olympic Peninsula


Fishing: Weather permitting, anglers will have some good opportunities to catch winter steelhead, coho, chum and blackmouth in the days ahead. Meanwhile, a razor clam dig is scheduled to open later in December.
Winter steelhead are making their return to Olympic Peninsula rivers where anglers are catching early hatchery arrivals in the Humptulips River in western Grays Harbor County and the Bogachiel River in the Quillayute system. “With the recent rains bringing in the fish and the rivers dropping down, people have been catching some nice steelhead,” said David Low, WDFW fish biologist.

The Bogachiel typically gets early returning hatchery fish the first few weeks in December, followed by the Hoh and Sol Duc, Low said. “Then the wild steelhead start to show up January.”

Although it’s still early, WDFW biologists are foreseeing an average season in terms of returning fish, said Low. “It’s looking like a typical return for most rivers and if last year’s any indication it should be decent fishing.” Then again, success depends on the weather. “This is especially true on the Olympic Peninsula where rivers can easily go out of shape when storms come through,” he said.

Low recommends anglers review the steelhead-fishing rules outlined in the Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

While several area rivers will close to salmon fishing Nov. 30, others will remain open to anglers looking for some late-run coho. Anglers may continue to retain wild coho on the Satsop, Wishkah and Wynoochee rivers as well as a portion of the Chehalis River (from the Hwy 101 Bridge in Aberdeen to the Porter Bridge). Before heading out, anglers should check the Errata sheet, which contains corrections to the Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm). The Elk, Hoquiam, Johns and Skookumchuck rivers will close Nov. 30.

Meanwhile, anglers trolling the waters around Point Defiance in recent days have been catching a fair number of blackmouth, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. “Although the effort’s been low, the fish are there,” he said. “If folks get out, they should be able to take home a fish.” Over the Nov. 24 weekend, anglers were averaging about one fish per rod. The daily limit is two salmon; one chinook may be retained.

Although salmon fishing closes at many popular chum sites such as Kennedy Creek and McClane Creek on Nov. 30, the Nisqually River offers a late-run season for wild chum, said Thiesfeld. “For those who want to catch some fish throughout December, it’s the only game in town.”

The next razor-clam dig is tentatively scheduled Dec. 21-22 on evening tides at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. One more evening dig is planned Dec. 23 at Twin Harbors only. Kalaloch Beach will remain closed throughout the 2007-08 season. Evening low tides during the dig are 4:12 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 (–0.4 ft.), 5:06 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 (–0.9 ft.), 5:58 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23 (–1.2 ft.).

Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2007 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination license is still valid.


Southwest Washington:


Fishing: Anglers fishing several tributaries to the lower Columbia River are still catching good numbers of late-stock hatchery coho salmon while waiting for winter steelhead to arrive. Some of the best fishing has been on the Cowlitz River near the barrier dam, where 32 bank anglers caught 12 coho during Thanksgiving weekend.
Hatchery steelhead should start showing up in the catch on the Cowlitz and other area rivers shortly, said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist.

“Depending on weather conditions, the winter steelhead fishery should start revving up sometime in mid-December,” Hymer said. “Heavy rain could bring them in sooner, but we should definitely start seeing some action by the middle of the month.”

All or part of several Columbia River tributaries – including the Cowlitz, Lewis, Kalama, Elochoman, Grays, Coweeman, and Washougal rivers and Salmon Creek (Clark Co.) – are currently open to retention of two hatchery steelhead per day. Blue and Mill creeks in Lewis County will open to hatchery steelhead fishing Dec. 1. Blue Creek also opens for retention of hatchery sea-run cutthroat that day.

As in past years, all wild steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released unharmed. For additional regulations applicable to specific rivers, anglers are advised to check the Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

Since hatchery steelhead planted last spring will make up most of this year’s catch, Hymer suggests reviewing WDFW’s 2006 smolt stocking report to gauge fishing prospects for various rivers. That report, posted at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/harve...arvest.htm on the department’s website, “isn’t a surefire guide to successful fishing but does provide an indication of how many smolts were planted in each river," Hymer said.

Until winter steelhead make their move in mid-December, the late-run hatchery coho fishery may be the best bet in the lower Columbia River Basin, Hymer said. In addition to the Cowlitz River, the North Fork Lewis River has also been yielding decent catches of hatchery coho.

Hymer reminds anglers that they must continue to release fall chinook on the Lewis River, where spawning ground surveys indicate the escapement goal will not likely be met this year. He also notes that the adult hatchery coho catch limit on the Cowlitz River – and portions of the Cispus and Tilton rivers – is six fish per day. “We want people to catch those fish, because that’s why we raised them,” he said.

During the week ending Nov. 24, Tacoma Power recovered 1,754 coho salmon adults, 60 coho jacks, 14 fall chinook adults, 70 summer-run steelhead and 29 winter-run steelhead salmon at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator during six days of operations. Tacoma Power employees then released 218 adult coho into Lake Scanewa at the Day Use Site; 132 adult coho into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek; 269 adult coho into the upper Cowlitz River in Packwood; and 162 adult coho and 81 fall chinook adults into the Tilton River in Morton.

Meanwhile, sturgeon fishing has continued to slow on the lower Columbia River, where water temperatures have dropped to around 50 degrees. During the week ending Nov. 27, no catch was observed among boat anglers fishing from the Wauna powerlines to Bonneville Dam, where the retention fishery is scheduled to remain open daily through Dec. 31. In the gorge, 157 bank anglers landed seven legal-sized white sturgeon the last half of November.


Eastern Washington:


Fishing: Four winter-only rainbow trout fishing lakes open Dec. 1 in the region and at least two of them will provide good opportunities this season. Fourth of July Lake, on the Lincoln-Adams county line, has lots of rainbows over 14 inches. WDFW District Fish Biologist Chris Donley said that as many as 70 percent of the fish there are over 14 inches, which means a fishing trip to Fourth of July may be short. The lake has a five trout daily catch limit, but only two of the five can be over 14 inches.
Hog Canyon Lake, in southwest Spokane County, is under the same catch regulations, but there should be lots of five-fish limits caught there, Donley said. Hog Canyon has more fish overall, and many more under 14 inches. “Whether these two lakes will be completely iced up on the opener is the big question,” Donley said. “We don’t monitor or measure that, so anglers need to just be prepared for all kinds of winter conditions.”

Also opening Dec. 1 is a four-month-long whitefish season on the Little Spokane River from the state highway 291 bridge near Nine Mile Falls to the west branch tributary north of Chattaroy. Up to 15 whitefish of any size can be taken daily, but fishing gear is restricted to one single-point hook no bigger than size 14 (no more than 3/16-inch from point to shank). The gear rule is designed to minimize the chances of catching other gamefish, which are not legal to harvest at this time.

Fishing for rainbow and brown trout at year-round Rock Lake in Whitman County has been good. Lake Roosevelt rainbows are also biting well now, especially from Seven Bays up to near Grand Coulee Dam.

Snake River steelheading has slowed somewhat, said Joe Bumgarner, WDFW fish biologist. “Some steelheaders are wondering where the fish are, and some seem to think they’ve moved upstream earlier this year, perhaps because of our relatively warmer fall,” he said. Throughout the Snake system, anglers are averaging about 16 hours of fishing per steelhead. The best catch rates were about nine hours per fish in the mid-Snake section above the interstate bridge and 13.6 hours per steelhead in the section between Lower Monumental and Little Goose dams. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) recent creel checks on the Lower Grand Ronde River, on either side of the state line, show 15-20 hours of effort per steelhead. Bumgarner said the lower Grand Ronde near the mouth is catch-and-release fishing only, so catch rates can’t be measured easily. For the full creel survey, see wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel...index.htm.


North Central Washington:


Fishing: Although steelhead anglers are still having some success on the Methow, Okanogan, Similkameen, and mainstem Columbia rivers, recent colder water temperatures have resulted in reduced catch rates, reported Bob Jateff, WDFW district fish biologist.
“Fishers on the Okanogan and Similkameen rivers are using mostly spoons,” Jateff said. “Methow River anglers are using flies and jigs, with black and purple the most popular color choices, and on the mainstem Columbia from Wells Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, success has been good at times with jigs rigged with a whole shrimp.” Jateff reminds anglers that the mainstem Columbia allows the use of standard gear and bait, but the Okanogan, Similkameen, and Methow rivers are under selective gear rules.

Whitefish season opens Dec. 1 on the Methow and Similkameen rivers, and the same sections that are closed to steelhead fishing are also closed to whitefish fishing. On the Methow River, all fishing is closed from the second powerline crossing upstream to the first Hwy 153 Bridge. On the Similkameen River, all fishing is closed from the Railroad Trestle Bridge upstream to Enloe Dam. Anglers can see the complete steelhead emergency rule change at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm.

Jateff reminds whitefish anglers fishing in areas also open to steelhead that selective gear rules must be followed and bait is not allowed.

The four-month season for whitefish also opens Dec. 1 on portions of the Chewuch, Entiat and Wenatchee rivers and Sinlahekin Creek. The daily catch limit is 15 fish using the standard whitefish gear rule — one single-point hook, size 14 or smaller (no more than 3/16-inch from point to shank). The gear rule is designed to minimize the chances of catching other gamefish, which are not legal to harvest at this time.

Dec. 1 also marks the shift to a catch-and-keep season with standard fishing gear on four Okanogan County lakes – Little Twin near Winthrop, Big and Little Green near Omak, and Rat near Brewster. Jateff said all four lakes should provide good fishing through the winter for rainbow trout. The daily catch limit is five fish and bait is allowed.

Fishing at Rufus Woods Lake, the Columbia River reservoir on the Okanogan-Douglas County line east of Bridgeport, continues to be good and anglers are catching limits of two- to four-pound triploid rainbow trout. Jateff reminds anglers that the daily catch limit at Rufus Woods is two fish, and when using bait the first two fish caught are part of the daily limit whether kept or released.

Jim Brown, WDFW enforcement sergeant, noted that officers are finding several catch-limit violations and bait-caught fish “sorting” at Rufus Woods.


South Central Washington:


Fishing: The region’s only designated winter-season rainbow trout fishing lake — North Elton Pond, a 15-acre lake near Selah in Yakima County — will open Dec. 1. The pond will be stocked with 2,000 half-pound rainbow trout jus t before the opener, said Eric Anderson, WDFW district fish biologist. He reminds anglers the daily catch limit is two trout and internal combustion motors on boats are prohibited. The pond is open to fishing through March 31.
Anderson also said there may not be any excess rainbow trout broodstock from WDFW’s Goldendale Hatchery to stock the many year-round fishing lakes in Yakima and Kittitas County this year. “At this point all the fish we have are needed in the hatchery and we may not know until January if we have excess brood fish,” he said. “Transporting those fish over Satus Pass into the Yakima Valley may not be practical due to weather or iced-over lakes. In the past we’ve stocked 600-700 five- to ten-pound rainbow broodstock in this area in early December, so I’m sure we’ll get lots of phone calls from anglers wondering where the big fish are this year.”

Season opens on the Bumping, Naches and Tieton rivers on Dec. 1. The Yakima River above Roza Dam also opens for whitefish on Dec.1, but remains catch-and-release with selective gear rules for trout. The Yakima River is open year-round below Roza Dam, with the exception of a short reach below the dam, which opens Dec. 1.

On the Columbia River, which is open year-round, the Vernita Bridge to Priest Rapids Dam reach should also provide some good whitefish fishing, but that reach is closed for salmon and steelhead, said Jim Cummins, WDFW fish biologist. The daily whitefish catch limit is 15 fish using the standard whitefish gear rule — one single-point hook, size 14 or smaller (no more than 3/16-inch from point to shank). The gear rule is designed to minimize the chances of catching other gamefish, which are not legal to harvest at this time. Anglers should check the fishing rules pamphlet for all details.

"This is a reproduction of a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife document and is not the official document or regulations of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The accuracy of the reproduction cannot be guaranteed by WDFW."